South East Visitor Mooring Consultation Feedback Form

Well, its been 7 days, 12 batteries and 4 gas bottles since we last spoke.  Motto of the day is NEVER buy cheap batteries when you are offered them they will ALWAYS work out more expensive!!  I may elaborate another day but for now, while I still have power I have this for you.  This is just a quick draft for now, but you get the picture.

Feedback for the South East Visitor Mooring Consultation

Want to send in your feedback but not sure what to say or how to say it?  I may be able to help you. At the bottom of this blog is a copy of the feedback I have just sent to C&RT.  I am happy to share the form with you for you to use if your views and comments would have been the same or even if they woudnt have.

I thought it may be helpful to make my own feedback available to others to help inspire them to contribute to the consultation.  All you have to do to get the form is either click on the link below or email me at ronnipayne@hotmail.com and I will send you one.

The link below should take you the form C&RT want returned to them.   If you want to, you can edit it to add your own comments or remove any of mine that you dont agree with.  You can add your name or if you prefer remain annonymous, it is your choice.

GO TO FEEDBACK FORM

If you cant find the form. are having problems editing it or just need a bit of help, email me ronnipayne@hotmail.com and I will send you a copy via email that you can also edit as you see fit or just send straight to consultation@canalrivertrust.org.uk

Feedback needs to be received by C&RT by 1st March Latest!!!

If you prefer you can post your form to:
Damian Kemp
Canal & River Trust,
The Dock Office,
Commercial Road,
Gloucester,
GL1 2EB.     

This is an exact copy of the feedback form I have given you a link to so you can have a read to see if you would like to use it as is or with your own comments.


Refreshing signage and rules for South East visitor mooring sites: boater consultation Jan-Feb 2013

FEEDBACK FORM

We would welcome your feedback.  Please e-mail your views by returning this form to consultation@canalrivertrust.org.uk by 1 March 2013.  Alternatively, you can post it to   Damian Kemp at Canal & River Trust, The Dock Office, Commercial Road, Gloucester, GL1 2EB.     THANK YOU!   If you’re completing this on paper, use additional sheets as necessary, but please try to be as concise as possible.

In what capacity are you responding to this consultation? (please X all that apply)

A regular/frequent boating user of the mooring sites covered by the consultation

 

Occasional visiting boater to South East waterways

 

Boater with a home mooring in South East

 

Hire boat operator

X

 

Other - please provide details: Current C/C Licence Holder  

If you are happy to be contacted for clarification by the person reviewing this response (who may be a volunteer), please add your name, email address and/or phone number:

General (Please refer to the consultation paper and the draft text for the Thrupp information leaflet, map and letters that would be used to implement the new arrangements.)

1.       Are the time limit rules reasonable and clear?

The time limits are not reasonable for the following reasons: To reduce any stretch of water from 14 day moorings to 2 day with restricted return clauses without valid reason or benefit to boater or C&RT is ridiculous and foolhardy for obvious fiscal and environmental reasons.   Trading boats will suffer greatly from the limited ability to moor in busy footfall sights and at the very least should be exempt from all VM restrictions.  They bring tourism and turnover to the towpath and should be positively encouraged.  Not the opposite. Holiday makers visiting family or wanting to holiday in a particular place will look for alternative accommodations on land to enable their stay. Again, taking away revenue from hire-boat companies and local businesses. Please see page 3 for suggested alternative.

2.       Is the information clear?  How could it be improved?

The information is clear, but flawed and misinformed.

3.       Is the map clear?  How could it be improved?

The map is clear, to have it readily available to visiting boaters when a suitable solution to whatever the problem is has been found would be good.  It could be easily distributed by volunteer lock keepers in the area as part of a welcome pack.  This could also include details of where visitor moorings are located as well as local businesses and places of interest to tempt visiting tourists.

4.       Comments on the proposed changes at individual sites

Please use the following table to record your comments about (1) the proposed start and end points of the visitor mooring areas and (2) the proposed time limits in each case (please delete the rows for any site which you’re not commenting on.

Site Name	(1) Proposed start and end points	(2) Proposed time Limits
1.  Thrupp/Gunpowder	UNREASONABLE FOR REASONS STATED ON PAGE 3	UNREASONABLE FOR REASONS STATED ON PAGE 3
2.  Stoke Bruerne	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
3.  Foxton	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
4.  Marsworth	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
5.  Cowroast	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
6.  Berkhamsted	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
7.  Batchworth	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
8.  Cropredy	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
9.  Banbury	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
10. Lower Heyford	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
11. Brownsover	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
12. All Oaks Wood	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
13. Hillmorton	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
14. Oxford (centre)	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
15. Yelvertoft	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
16. Bugbrooke	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
17. Thrupp Wharf	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
18. Black Horse	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
19. Globe Inn (south of  Br 111)	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
20. Leighton Buzzard	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
21. Cassiobury Park	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------
22. Wendover Arm	-------------“------------------	-------------“------------------

5.       Any other points you would like to record (please be as concise as possible)

I would like to point out that the cost of this consultation would have been put to far better use if it had been spent on dredging, enforcement or maintenance.   That would have been a far more constructive and a far less waste full use of the charities money.   Also consistent and visible enforcement of the 14 day rule in built up areas as well as enforcement of current visitor mooring restrictions will be sufficient to solve the majority of problems that have arisen from BW/C&RT’s own historic lackadaisical attitude to the situation.  It is also the most obvious, cost effective and efficient way of dealing with it.

As C&RT refuse to give any indication of the reasons behind their proposed changes to the suggested 22 visitor mooring sites may I offer the following suggestions to solve said unknown problems and invite C&RT to apply said solutions to the sites they most relate to? 

• Local Residents complaining regarding noisy, smoky boats moored outside their homes. 

Proper enforcement of the 14 day rule in built up areas as well as enforcement of current visitor mooring restrictions will be sufficient to solve this problem.     If I were a resident of a canal side property I think I too would get frustrated at seeing the same boats outside my windows for weeks on end and feel the need to complain to get them moved on.

• Hire boat companies receiving complaints from their hirers.  Stating that they can't moor in the Town Centres they planned to visit on their holidays due to visitor moorings being full of boats.

Again, proper enforcement of the 14 day rule in built up areas as well as enforcement of current visitor mooring restrictions will be sufficient to solve this problem.    Also suggest that hire boat companies stagger their change over days to 2 or 3 times a week to avoid a large amount of boats all heading in the same direction on the same day. (Causing them to arrive at the nearest town all together and not being able to moor).  Or different companies in the same area having change over on different days would help too.

• Other boaters complaining that they cannot moor in 'honey pot areas' due to the visitor moorings being full.
• Boaters refraining from moving their boat (whether livaboard or not) every 14 days and staying in a very small geographical area
• Abuse of 'visitor' moorings i.e. boats overstaying on a 48hr /7 or 14 day mooring.

Proper enforcement of the 14 day rule in built up areas as well as enforcement of current visitor mooring restrictions will be sufficient to solve this problem.

• Local Business complaining that they are losing trade due to the turnover of boats being too slow. (More boat traffic, more customers).

In this instance it would be acceptable to have clearly sign posted visitor moorings for 2/4/7 and 14 days and again proper enforcement of the restrictions would be sufficient to solve this problem.

• Abuse of facility moorings i.e. boats staying for a week on a water point etc
•  Abuse of Lock Landings i.e. mooring where other boaters need to moor to enable them to work the lock

In this instance, it would be acceptable to have clearly signposted restriction times e.g.: for only stopping for the specific intention of using said facilities.   Proper enforcement of the restrictions would be sufficient to solve this problem.

In summary, C&RT need to begin to enforce the restrictions already in place.  Proper enforcement of the 14 day rule in built up areas as well as enforcement of current visitor mooring restrictions will be sufficient to solve this problem.